PM Modi's OBC strategy: Leveraging fear tactics in 2024 elections

In 2015, the BJP faced a formidable challenge in the Bihar Assembly election from a coalition of backward caste leaders, Nitish Kumar and Lalu Prasad Yadav. Their campaign was derailed after Mohan Bhagwat, chief of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), called for a review of the reservation policy, straining the BJP's position.

In response, Narendra Modi communalized the issue, portraying his opponents as pro-Muslim and accusing them of plotting to reallocate reservation quotas from Dalits, tribals, and backward castes to Muslims. This tactic ultimately backfired, contributing to the BJP's significant loss in the election.

Ahead of his bid for a third term, Modi's campaign initially showcased ambitious visions of a developed India, blending Hindu cultural revivalism with modern development under the slogan "Virasat bhi, Vikas bhi." However, as voting commenced, the BJP's narrative shifted dramatically.

 Instead of highlighting its achievements over the past decade, the party resorted to desperate tactics, painting its main national opponent as a villain seeking to appease Muslims at the expense of OBCs, Dalits, and tribals. This shift indicates not only a departure from the party's original positive narrative but also a patronizing attitude towards marginalized Hindu communities.

Modi's strategy of pitting marginalized Hindu communities against religious minorities, exemplified by his tactics in the Bihar election and now in his bid for a third term, reflects an old Hindutva tactic.

Despite this familiarity, the decision to employ such polarizing tactics in the midst of an election suggests the BJP's insecurity about its own narrative and its underestimation of the agency of these communities, many of which have been systematically depoliticized. This approach underscores the BJP's willingness to prioritize divisive tactics over genuine engagement with the issues facing marginalized communities.